RAND Report Says US Should Have Used Fighter Jets, Bombers For More Strategic Strikes Against ISIS

USA World

US Should Have Used Fighter Jets, Bombers for More Strategic Strikes Against ISIS 

The U.S.-led air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria often prioritized tactical, close-air support operations and bombing runs over strategic, “deep strike” missions, according to a new Rand Corp. report. 
But while the aggressive effort crippled some ISIS strongholds, it did little to accelerate the caliphate’s defeat in the long run, the report found. 
In “The Air War Against the Islamic State: The Role of Airpower in Operation Inherent Resolve,” researchers conclude that territory-limiting operations were seen as the measure of success during the escalated effort, which ran from 2014 to 2019.